


50 (Possible) First Kisses

by BannedBookReader



Category: Aquaman (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BannedBookReader/pseuds/BannedBookReader
Summary: Kaldur'ahm and Roy could have had a first kiss at many different points. Here's 50 of them.
Relationships: Roy Harper/Kaldur'ahm
Comments: 12
Kudos: 19





	1. 6. Rejection

6\. Rejection 

Kaldur didn't know where he was going. Just walking. Yesterday's events had rocked him to his core and the waters of Atlantis were just too heavy right now. The sympathetic looks from his friends. The guilty exchanges between Garth and Tula. His own father occasionally patting him on the back sympathetically. Or worse trying to tell him about the _one_ time _he_ was rejected. Thankfully his mother stepped in and put a stop to that story. But the quiet that settled over the small family was too much. It was all too much. 

A doorman nodded gently at him as he let Kaldur into an apartment building. _Feelings_ were building up in his chest, climbing up his ribs and pushing their way against his gills and into his throat. And in his short life no one had ever accused him of being good with feelings. That's what Garth was for. To eye him questioningly and give a knowing nod and if need be explain the situation to others. No nod came yesterday. Just guilty glances and sentences that could never make it out of his mouth. Not that Kaldur wanted to hear them. But watching Garth gap at him like a fish was a surprisingly difficult and infuriating task. 

The elevator gave a soft ding, prompting him to exit. Where was he going? Forward apparently. His body acting on instinct. Desperate for a closeness that he had been denied. Touch starved and only growing hungrier. The knock on the door echoed down the carpeted hallway. It was too loud. Too much like the explosions that rocked the Capital last night. He felt his eyes pinch closed but not because he wanted them too. His body was acting without permission. Which was the only explanation for what he did when the door swung open. 

"Kaldur? Is everything ok-" Roy didn't get a chance to finish asking his question. The Atlantean's hands found the worn cotton of the archer's shirt. Even without his enhanced strength Kaldur would have no issue pulling the pleasantly shocked Roy into him. His lips were chapped and tasted like a mix of dried blood and marinara sauce. The redhead melted into the kiss like second nature. His callosed and scabbed hands running up Kaldur's back. His head turning to fit into Kaldur's like a puzzle. Until Kaldur felt him tense against him and pull away. The same way Tula had pulled away. But it wasn't a sympathetic, guilty, look that Roy served. Instead it was more like he was a computer that needed restarting. "Uh...come in?" Normally him wiping his lips on the back of his sleeve would have embarrassed Kaldur. 

Kaldur could only nod. His feet didn't move though. Anchored to the hallway. After a painful moment of just standing there Roy gently grabbed Kaldur's wrist, and he desperately wanted the other man to never let go. Instead he led him to the thrift store couch and gently pushed him down. 

"Kaldur?" Roy's hands were expectedly rough as they felt for a fever and probed for head injuries. 

"I will never be someone's first choice." The words fell from Kaldur's lips and landed at their feet. He didn't even know he was thinking them, but now they rang true to his ears. 

"Bullshit." Roy sat on his coffee table, clearly content Kaldur wasn't physically injured or ill. 

A laugh cut through Kaldur's throat. Tears sprung to his eyes and ran down his cheeks. And those perfect rough hands were there to brush them away. He leaned into the touch but refused to let more tears fall. 

"Kaldur. Just tell me what happened? I'm right here." 

"I." He swallowed but it didn't offer any relief. "I went back to Atlantis…" 

"That's good right?" 

Sea green eyes dragged themselves up from the carpet that was in desperate need of vacuuming. Worry had etched itself into Roy's features. His own guilt burned its way up Kaldur's throat making his gills flare. He did this to him. He shouldn't be here. Why was he here? 

"Hey, look at me. You want some water? Or, I was eating cheese sticks? Do you want one?" 

"What?" Kaldur blinked away the pressure behind his eyes. What the _fuck_ did cheese sticks have to do with anything? 

"Here." Roy pushed a plate from the coffee table into Kaldur's hands. Sure enough there were cheese sticks and a pile of marinara sauce resting on it. Marinara sauce. His lips had tasted like marinara sauce. Why did he know that? Kaldur blinked at the plate. 

"I kissed you." By the gods. He should have at least _asked_. Why did he do that? 

"Um. Yeah….but I don't mind! It's totally okay! We, uh, can talk about it later. I just. Kaldur, are you okay?" 

"I do not think I am." 

"You went to Atlantis?" Roy was rubbing Kaldur's knee softly, his voice uncharacteristically even. 

"I went to tell…" It felt wrong to say. Especially right now after _kissing_ Roy. With him rubbing his knee and talking softly. Looking at him _like that_. Why was he looking at him like that? What did it mean? 

"Kaldur," He set the untouched plate back on the coffee table. "You went to Atlantis to tell…?"

"I had been dreaming of Tula." Roy's hand tightened ever so slightly but his face remained the same. Kaldur forced himself to keep going, and before he knew it he was sharing things he'd been afraid to even think about. Unloading the rocks that had settled into his chest. Like the loneliness that came from being the last to know. The betrayal of the entire situation. Even how cold, and heavy, and just uncomfortable the Manta armor he wore to sneak into the observatory was. How he never wanted to wear anything like it again. The entire time Roy listened. When at last Kaldur had completely run out of things to say Roy leaned back, the coffee table creaking angrily with the movement. 

"Shit dude." He breathed. "What do you need?" 

"What?" 

"What can I do? Like. What will help?" 

"I have no idea." Something soured in his stomach. No one, not a single person, had ever asked him that. The closest was when his parents would tell him everything would be okay, or they knew what to do. He had no idea how to answer. Roy nodded, his brow creasing the way it did when he was thinking. Sometimes he'd even chew on his cheek if he got too lost in thought. 

"Well. You're in no position to go on patrol." The words were dragged out. When Roy stood up, the table sighed in relief. "But you wanna play a fighting game? I really only own fighting games honestly." 

"Do you think it will help?" 

"I think it'll get your mind off it. Maybe." 

"Then alright." 

The cheese sticks sat forgotten as the two mashed buttons, and at least once threatened each other with real life violence. Kaldur never completely forgot his woes. But it was harder to focus on them when his character was having her spine gruesomely ripped out on screen. Roy took a triumphant swig off his soda. 

" 'Nother round?" 

"I think I've lost enough for one night." A real smile tugged on his lips. He hated how foreign it felt. 

"Are you feeling any better?" 

"I am more myself." 

"That's a start." His blue eyes were starting to droop and Kaldur had noticed the stifled yawns. 

"I am sorry for bothering-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." His hand returned to Kaldur's knee. "You can never bother me." 

"Liar." 

"Oh yeah. Right through my teeth. But you know what I mean."

"Do I?" Kaldur loved the way Roy's lips tilted up in a smirk. He'd loved it for a long time. When it came down to it, him picking between Tula and Roy was almost an impossible task. One he'd let his subconscious make for him. 

"I think you do know." He squeezed Kaldur's knee again. When he went to move away Kaldur placed his hand on top to keep Roy's where it was. 

"I apologize for kissing you." 

"Don't worry about it. You were out of it."

"That is no excuse." 

"You're right." Roy considered for a moment. "I forgive you." A small tension untangled in Kaldur's chest. He continued to hold Roy's hand. 

"I appreciate it my friend. I think…" He swallowed again, still a futile effort. Fuck it. He'd already spilled his guts to Roy once tonight. "I think my brain...I think. Roy. You are not some rebound. If I had not gone to Tula-"

"You would have gone to me." He didn't sound angry, or disgusted, or horrified. In fact he didn't sound like anything. Just acknowledging the facts being laid before him. 

"Yes." Kaldur steeled his heart for another rejection. 

"Wow." Roy blinked at him for a second. And then he was grinning wildly. "So why her then?" A teasing had entered his voice. 

"A lot of reasons I suppose. But I was prompted by my dreams." 

Roy nodded, still grinning, still holding Kaldur's hand. "So. Are you asking me?" 

"Do you want me too?" His heart stuttered in his chest. 

"I wouldn't mind." 

"Oh." _Oh_. That was the best news Kaldur had heard since the start of the Clayface mission. "Well. Roy. Would you like to… you know?" Fucken _feelings_. 

"I would." He pulled his hand out of Kaldur's so that he could wrap his arm around his shoulders. Roy had just as little issue pulling the Atlantean into his chest as Kaldur had him. He pressed a kiss into his yellow hair. A paradoxical sob built up in Kaldur's chest but he pushed it down. He wouldn't ruin this moment. 

"I will be honest, that is not how I imagined our first kiss."

"You imagined our first kiss?" Roy smirked into Kaldur's hair. 

A heat almost immediately rose to his cheeks. 

"I did too. And yeah, that's not how I imagined it either." 

If there was one more revelation in the next 48 hours Kaldur's brain would start to leak from his ears. "I wish I had not done it." 

"We can pretend you didn't?" 

Kaldur twisted around to look Roy in his eyes. "What?" 

Roy shrugged, which was mildly awkward with his arm still wrapped around Kaldur's chest. "We're the only ones who know it happened. So we can pretend it didn't. We can have a different first kiss." 

"Like what?" 

"Like this?" Roy twisted Kaldur around to make the angle more comfortable before leaning in. It was short and soft and sweet. Roy's lips were still chapped, but the marinara taste had faded even if the blood hadn't. A shiver ran down Kaldur's spine when Roy ran his tongue over Kaldur's lips. He pushed in deeply before pulling away, a smug grin resting on his face. 

"Yes. Like that."


	2. 17. Relaxation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thx to the aqua bam discord for helping me narrow down some thoughts on Kaldur and the cold

17\. Relaxation 

People assumed the cold never bothered Kaldur. No matter how it nipped at his eyelashes or slipped under his collar to twist by his gills, drying them out. The Ocean is cold and so he shouldn't be bothered by the Surface's dry bastardized version of it. But really his black turtleneck served two purposes, hiding his gills and the nasty purple bruises twisting over his arms, as well as providing some protection from the dry air. Resting on top was his jacket, ready to be discarded at a moment's notice to reveal his water barrers, but also adding extra insulation from the wind. And lastly were the fingerless mittens covering his hands, chapped webbing really was the worst. He looked like someone in need of a good cup of coffee. Which worked out, because sticking out on Land didn't usually work out for him, either ending in a fight or more personal questions than he carried to answer. 

The bell above his head rang out and was immediately lost in the hustle of _Brewtiful Grounds Coffee Shoppe_. Roy would describe it as a "Damn hipster ass place", which made Kaldur wonder why Emiko of all people had been so insistent that he come here. But this was where the gift card she gave him could be used, and angering Green Arrow's little sister didn't seem wise. So he was here, and at the time and day she insisted on, ready for a cup of coffee and maybe to relax for a moment. It was getting harder and harder to have a moment to himself since agreeing to lead the Team. 

The chalkboard menu was clustered with seasonal items and snacks and puns he still struggled to understand, making it hard to narrow down what he wanted. Aside from something warm. He was sure he wanted something warm. The bubbly barista behind the counter suggested her favorite drink, a creme brulee latte, so that's what he ended up going with when it became obvious he couldn't decide on his own.

"Here ya' go hon!" She was much too perky for someone working minimum wage at a Star City coffee shop. It warmed Kaldur's heart a little. 

"Thank you." 

"You staying for the show?" A stand of hair slipped from under her uniform ball cap. 

"Show?" 

She positively lit up. "We got a buncha local performers to come sing and stuff! The boss did auditions and everything. Very legit." 

Was that why Emiko wanted him here right now? She was uncomfortably insistent about the time and date he spent the gift card after all. "I think I will." 

"Hope you enjoy it!" She spun around to serve the next customer in line. He hoped so too. Exhaustion had dug itself into his bones and perhaps this could exorcise that. It sounded relaxing. Or what someone would tell him is relaxing. He didn't have much experience on that front. But damn if he wouldn't try. Sitting down on a rather uncomfortable steel chair close to the makeshift stage, he was ready to have a good night. And if that's what Emiko had in mind for him, then he would have to thank her later. Or she was tormenting him and expected this to suck. Both options were equally possible. 

After approximately thirty seconds of doing nothing it became too much. He had to do something productive. Anything. The wifi wasn't fast enough, or secure enough, to work on League reports. So he ended up on the coffeeshop's website to learn more about the show. There wasn't much information, just the number of performers and the time the show started. Which was about five minutes away. He suppressed a groan. Would Emiko even find out if he left? 

The girl must have superpowers because it was that moment when she called. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey Shark Boy, where you at?" 

"Brewtiful Grounds." What a dumb name. It felt wrong in his mouth. 

"Good. You plan on staying?" 

"For the show?" 

A grin slid into her voice. "Yeah." 

"I might as well." He tried not to sigh. 

"You sound so thrilled." 

"Is there a reason you called?" 

"Just checkin'."

"I told you I'd be here. Why do you care so much?" 

"Can't I want my nephew's bestie to have a good time?" 

Kaldur rolled his eyes. Emiko was younger than Roy. And while technically "nephew" was accurate it felt like an obnoxious way to describe him. "How's your nose?"

"Broken. Which sucks. A lot." 

"My condolences." 

"Are you making fun of me?" 

"Of course not." 

"Uh huh. Well, enioy the show." 

Well that had killed some time at least. He ran a mitten clad hand over his face. Maybe Roy would want to join him? But it would take even longer for him to get here so it wouldn't exactly cut down on waiting. But maybe he could at least kill time by texting. 

_Kaldur: Hey._

Maybe that wasn't the right thing to send. Maybe he should have said something else? Like, "Hello" or "What's up?". 

_Roy: hey. Busy. text u l8r_

Kaldur blinked at the screen. Naturally. He just needed to kill another minute. 

_Kaldur: What sort of music does one expect at a coffee shop?_

_Tula: lots of acoustic surface instruments_

_Tula: lyrics that are obviously allegories_

_Tula: and a beat id kill a man to_

_Kaldur: Thanks._

_Tula: anytime Cheekbones_

Why did he ask her anything? Though that did help his expectations. Not that he knew what sort of beat she'd kill a man to but he was getting ready to find out. At last a middle aged man stepped onto the creaky wooden stage. 

"Thank you all for coming out tonight. We love having everyone's support for events like this. Especially to help smaller creatives! I'll have more of my official, boring, stuff to say at the end but for now let's welcome our first performer, one mister Roy William Harper!"

Kaldur choked on his coffee. He felt the warm liquid slip through his gills and into his turtleneck. Suddenly he regretted sitting so close to the stage. Especially since his mild outburst brought Roy's, oh so blue, eyes right to him. They flew wide for a half a second before the archer cleared his throat and regained himself. 

"Uh," Roy cleared his throat again, this time into the microphone. "Sorry. Yeah, no big introductions, let's just do this." He pulled his eyes away from Kaldur and towards the neck of the guitar. 

Kaldur had never paid much attention to Roy's hands. The callouses built up on the inside of his fingers, and scabs on his knuckles. Dry cracking skin around his fingernails that made Kaldur want to wince. The thought of rubbing lotion over Roy's hands dragged a blush to his cheeks, which made him almost choke again. Kaldur opted to just set the cup down. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin Roy's performance by choking to death. He was quite good after all. His trained fingers danced over the strings in a way Kaldur could never dream of. His voice, gods his voice. Raspy and raw and able to hit Kaldur in his stomach. And when he glanced up and looked _right at_ Kaldur? Well, he certainly wouldn't describe it as a swoon, but someone else might. 

The three songs went by much too quickly. Kaldur didn't care about whoever came next. He just wanted to keep listening to Roy. He didn't even care what he was singing about. He could sing a children's song for all Kaldur cared. Just as long as he was singing. Preferably to him. Kaldur's stomach protested the thought. 

"What are you doing here?" The calm steadiness Roy had on stage was gone, replaced with a slight panic. Which was significantly easier for Kaldur to deal with. Still he took a second to compose himself. 

"I helped Emiko deal with some Shadows the other day-"

"They other _day_!" The switch into protective mode was instant. 

"Yes. She gave me a gift card and told me to come here." 

"Fuck dude." The concern for his "aunt" slipped off his face. Leaving behind something Kaldur wasn't sure he'd ever seen on Roy's face. Insecurity. Beautiful glass blue eyes darted down, he cheek pulled inward from where he was biting and his whole head tilted down. Reason ran from Kaldur as he gently tilted Roy's head back up, his thumb rubbing Roy's jawline. 

"I didn't know you could sing."

The redhead responded with a slow blink. 

"I enjoyed it. Invite me to the next one." Kaldur's felt his lips twerk upward. What was he doing? 

"Uh...you liked it?" Fingers brushed Kaldur's gently, sending shivers up his spine. 

"Very much so." 

"Thanks. Um. It's not something I share." 

"Except to a room full of strangers." 

He laughed, Kaldur's hand still holding his chin for whatever reason. "Yeah. I'm glad you're here though. Even if I'll have to have a word with Emi later." His fingers rested on Kaldur's wrist. 

Kaldur responded with a swallow. Why was his heart beating so hard? 

"Well." Roy's hand dropped away and he stepped back out of Kaldur's touch. "I don't give a shit what a room full of strangers think."

"You care what I think?" 

A harsh, perfect, laugh escaped his lips. "More than you know." 

Did Roy mean to tap his foot against his? Why was he standing so close suddenly after stepping away? 

"I was very impressed." 

"Then I should perform for you more often." 

Kaldur could hear his heartbeat. "I would like that." 

"Me too." That smug smile that drove Kaldur mad replaced the unsure look that had been resting on his face. Kaldur bit his lip at a loss to what to say. It was Roy's turn to gently reach up and touch Kaldur. His stony fingers scratching the tender flesh of his lip as he pulled it free from Kaldur's teeth. 

Kaldur didn't know who leaned in first, but when his lips met Roys his stomach dropped out from him. But when Roy pulled away, because it was definitely _not_ Kaldur who pulled away, he wanted desperately to kiss him again. To never not be kissing Roy. Instead he forced on a smile and took a step back. 

"Let's watch the rest of the show."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Include random arrowfam characters for the sake of it? More likely than you think? Expect more. And also aquafam 
> 
> Comments are music to my ears


	3. 10. Savior

10\. Savior 

Will wasn't sure he hadn't left part of himself behind as he ran from the Zeta. Artemis was close on his heels, calling out. But between the blood pounding in his ears and the sirens screaming around them her voice was lost. Smoke clung to his uniform and clawed at his lungs trying to strangle him. Still he ran. Pain shot up his leg, digging its teeth into his hip, from an untreated injury. Each step worse than the last. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered except getting to _Queen Consolidated_. 

Shattered glass crunched under his boots as he pushed forward towards where the building should be. Where it has been his entire life. Where no building stood now. 

Hands caught his shoulders stopping him in his tracks, jostling his organs that didn't get the memo to stop moving. 

"Let me go!" 

"Red." Grace tightened her grip ever so slightly. How many times had he wanted those tan hands to hold him? How many times _had_ they held him? A comfort in terrible moments and a pleasure in others. Now he wanted anything but to be trapped in her grip.

"Let me _go_!" He knew struggling against the amazon decedent was futile, but he couldn't not. "Lian-" The rest of the sentence got stuck in his throat. Tears soaked through his mask. "Let me go." All the energy drained from him. The pain in his leg was too much now that he wasn't moving. The smoke and debris weighed in his lungs. Grace went from holding him back to holding him up. "Lian." He whimpered. 

"It'll be okay." Grace lied. 

Artemis stood ridged next to him, jaw tight with grey eyes stuck on what was once a must see landmark of Star City. It didn't make sense. The building was gone, replaced with jagged bars of metal and broken slabs of concrete. Heroes and first responders dotted the remains like ants. Will couldn't bring himself to care. All he cared about was his daughter was in there. His world was in there. Somewhere. Under broken glass and twisted rebars. 

Grace dragged him towards an ambulance, leaving him his dignity by not picking him up. But his leg would have preferred the lack of dignity over having to move. 

"You have to let me help."

"You'll only get in our way." She'd never been one to mince words. 

"My daughter…" 

Her tattooed shoulders tensed. "We'll get her Red. I promise." With that the other redhead moved away, towards the remains of Star City's "most eco-friendly skyscraper". 

A paramedic was poking at his leg, sending up fresh waves of pain and asking him questions, but he had no answers for her. His brain couldn't unlatch from the truth in front of him. Body bags and sobbing witnesses. The delicate way the heroes moved the rubble so not to kill anyone buried underneath. Someone like his daughter. Someone like his perfect idiot daughter who was too much like him. Who instead of evacuating with the rest of her daycare snuck away to "help". Who's panicked scream over the phone still rang out in Will's brain. Bouncing around like an early 2000's screensaver. 

The paramedic gently moved his foot resulting in a blood curdling scream that surprised him as much as it did her. 

"Sir, we need to get you to a hospital." 

"Not without my girl." 

" _Sir_." 

"Did I slip outa English? Or _should_ I say it in a different language?" 

She pursued her lips at him. She had to understand. She had to. Even if she didn't have kids. Even if she'd never _seen_ a kid. She had to love someone. Loved someone at least. 

A blur of orange and green rushed past them. Blonde hair painted red and blue from the flashing lights. A hope swelled up in his chest before immediately deflating. It wasn't Kaldur, any idiot could see that immediately. But in his defense he was pretty outa it. Thoroughly gone really. And while he didn't have anything against Lisa Morel, Aquawoman, he didn't trust her to get his kid back, not the way he trusted Kaldur. But it was what she said that really took the wind from his sails.

"Where's Ka- Aquaman?" Her voice was high pitched and her words slammed into one another. 

No one answered. Which seemed to piss her off as much as it did him because a nearby fire hydrant exploded, halting anyone and everyone in the immediate area. She flinched at her own display of power. 

"Where's Aquaman?" This time her voice was even and shook Will to his core. It was Superboy who was brave enough to answer the Atlantean. 

"He was getting people out...we lost contact moments before the building fell." 

No. 

Will doubled over. His daughter. His...his whatever… Both trapped, or worse, under the remains of a building owned by the closest thing to a father he had. 

"Sir?" The paramedic tried again. He continued to ignore her. He immediately regretted standing up. The only thing keeping his body up was the worry and adrenaline pumping through his blood. Artemis caught him when he stumbled, but unlike Grace she didn't try and hold him back. Given his current situation she probably could have. 

"Over here!" Cyborg called out. Will's heart halted. Conner and Grace tossed away rubble and debris like confetti being directed by the young man the whole way. At last they pulled out...a janitor. The poor man was filthy and bleeding but very much alive. Under normal circumstances Will would be filled with relief from even one more life safe and sound. But these weren't normal circumstances. 

"Will. Please let them take you to a hospital." Artemis was trying to contain herself. She was better than most at hiding when she was distraught, but still human. And her best friend and niece could both be… He shook the thought from his head. "Please." 

"Not without Lian. Not without Kaldur." 

Lisa looked over her shoulder for a second. Purple eyes wet with tears. 

An ungodly noise of concrete scraping against concrete sounded out. No one moved. Even the heroes floating in the air froze, like even a shift in the wind could cause the building to slip and crush anyone underneath. And then Kyle floated down just enough to get a scan with his Green Lantern ring. 

"There's two people under here! One's probably a kid!" 

Artemis had to catch Will again. Lisa moved with all her Atlantean speed to reach the spot. 

"Tell me what to grab!" 

Grace and Connor had rushed over too, Cyborg directing Jennifer and M'gann towards the middle in a different rescue op. It was a balancing act, Kyle trying not to make things more difficult for Victor and vice versa. Will wasn't sure his heart was beating. The only signifier that it was, the amount of blood running down his hip and leg. It took all three of them to carefully maneuver a large slab of wall away from the building. Kyle immediately dropped down further. A green construct, tweezers with modified ends, shot out. Artemis tightened her grip. Lisa was back at the newly created hole to help lift out the, hopefully, survivors. Her "it's okay"s nothing more than mouthed words from where the two archers stood. 

"Will." A crack had finally found its way into Artemis' voice. 

Together Lisa and Kyle helped pull out, _Kaldur_. Something close to relief tugged at Will, but until his daughter was okay he couldn't let in. Kaldur was doubled over, arms wrapped around his chest. His back was to them, blood pooling from his side. Lisa had moved to help him down off the debris. When he turned around Will's heart dropped. He pulled from Artemis' grasp and did his best to run and meet the Atlanteans. He didn't quite tackle Kaldur, but it came close. 

"Will." The word was soot stained and strangled. But it slipped from Will's ears. The true, honest, relief he'd felt when he saw Lian in Kaldur's arms had completely taken over. Her little five year old hands still wrapped tightly into Kaldur's armor. Big eyes round and unsure, and _alive_. 

Will's lips landed on Kaldur's. His tears mixing with the ash and soot on Kaldur's face. Kaldur sorta kissed back, but he was being held up by his friend and was clinging onto consciousness and Lian. When Will at last pulled away and gathered up his, seemingly uninjured, little girl he couldn't help but laugh at Kaldur's response. 

"We are going to come back to that. But first I should lay down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments? Maybe? 🥺👉👈


	4. 34. Advice

34\. Advice 

"You're just going about it wrong." Roy spoke around his Chinese food. His head shaking slightly. 

"Close your mouth when you are eating." Kaldur tried not to roll his eyes. But sometimes his best friend on the Surface could be _gross,_. Roy, on the other hand, had no issues rolling his eyes. He made a dramatic show of swallowing, which didn't at all make Kaldur uncomfortable for reasons he couldn't put a finger on. He certainly didn't shift in his seat and glance away. And if he did, it didn't matter because Roy didn't seem to notice anyway. 

"All I'm sayin', if you want to pick up a girl-" 

"I do not want to "pick up" Tula. I wish to court her." 

"Same difference. If she lets you, you gotta kiss her." 

Kaldur choked on his bourbon chicken. Of all the obnoxious things Roy could have suggested. " _What?_ " 

"Obviously big on the "if she lets you", but show her what you got. You know?" He was talking with his chopsticks. Moving them around wildly. Which Kaldur was grateful for because it gave him something to look at that wasn't Roy. 

"I do not." 

Roy sighed like this was a simple concept to grasp. Like he wasn't telling Kaldur to just go out and _kiss_ Tula before ever confessing his feelings towards her. "You don't buy a car before test driving it right?" 

"I...I do not have a license." Nor did he want one at the moment. 

"You're purposefully missing the point." Roy pointed his chopsticks at him, accidentally flinging a noodle across the Queen basement. The room was nothing like an average basement, with plush carpet, a massive TV, and expensive furniture. Not to mention the many upgrades behind the walls, technology Kaldur wouldn't even pretend to understand. Say what you want about Oliver Queen, he put effort, and money, into making his kids comfortable. 

"You want me to kiss Tula as a way to prove myself as a suitor?" It seemed backwards. No. It _was_ backwards. 

"Okay Jane Austen, sure." 

"I can not just kiss her." 

"Well no. She has to be into it. And look at you, who wouldn't be?" 

"What?" 

"What?" 

Kaldur shook his head, disregarding that last sentiment and the way it settled in his stomach. "I do not even know where to begin." 

A red eyebrow quirked up. "Oh that's easy." Kaldur's heavy stomach dropped. He knew that look. Roy was using that powerful brain of his to think up something really, really, stupid. He set his take-out on the coffee table and turned to Kaldur. "Okay, take mental notes." It was getting increasingly more difficult not to roll his eyes. "You ready?" 

"Absolutely not." 

"Let me know when you're ready." He was completely serious. By the gods. 

"I'm ready." Kaldur's shoulders dropped. Better to just get this over with. 

Roy locked eyes with him and smirked. Kaldur couldn't imagine smirking like that at Tula, not without getting punched, still he turned the corner of his mouth up in response. Roy's eyes were so blue, like that thin line where the ocean and sky met. Kaldur felt his heart skip a beat. Maybe Roy was onto something. A shiver ran up his spine when Roy set his hand on his. It was so casual Kaldur had to remind himself this was planned on Roy's part. A roll he could expertly slip in and out of. His fingers curled around Kaldur's, pulling ever so slightly on the sensitive webbing, balling up a warm feeling Kaldur didn't want to consider. The calloused thumb ran circles over his fingers. Slowly his hand trailed up Kaldur's hand until it rested on his wrist, then the crook of his arm, and then his shoulder. The whole time Roy was leaning in closer and closer. Until at last his lips were mere centimeters away. His warm breath felt so dry against Kaldur's mouth. It would be impossible not to close the distance at this point. Someone moved forward. It was a glorified peck. Chapped lips against chapped lips for half a second. Roy practically fell backwards off the couch. 

He loudly cleared his throat while reclaiming his food. "You know? Like that." 

"I do now." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are welcome and appreciated and feed my soul


	5. 28. Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not dead *dabs*

28\. Rest

The cave was obnoxiously large. A show of strength and resources on the League's part. Everytime Roy stepped foot off the Zeta he was reminded of the vast unused space Mount Justice had, threatening to swallow him whole. It didn't help that his footsteps echoed down the halls as he walked, or that his whistles bounced off the metal ceiling; following him like a ghost.

The walk to the library was long and left him alone with his thoughts, which was never something he enjoyed. But he'd forgotten his earbuds at home and he certainly wasn't turning around now to go get them, even if it was tempting. So he pushed forward like he always did. It didn't help that he was taking the long way in hopes of avoiding "his" team. 

It was hard to consider himself a member of _Kaldur's_ Team. It was all a show of good faith for the League, and some mole hunting, nothing permanent. And after that last mission he hadn't exactly helped himself put down roots. 

But he stood by his actions. Artemis was the one in the wrong. At least she made the first mistake. The biggest one...

The library door slid open, another gaping mouth in a mountain full of them. But he knew where he was going. Kaldur was a creature of habit. It added control to a life that seriously lacked it. Or so Kaldur had told him after a long mission where he insisted on getting a particular brand of tea to relax. A tea that caused them to store hop for an hour before finding it. 

So Roy made his way through rows of bookshelves, most of which didn't even have real books, before turning towards a cluster of tables, the third of which was covered in papers. Kaldur's head was tilted down into his laptop. A thick overly plastic machine that could withstand the oceans depths. His sea green eyes were glazed over and hooded with heavy lids. 

"You should go to bed." 

"I have to finish this report." He didn't even look at Roy. But notably his fingers also didn't move over the keyboard. 

"Kaldur." 

"What do you need Roy?" 

Oh. So he was still pissed then. Alright. "Would you believe me if I said I came to apologize?" 

At last he looked at him. Purple bags heavy under his eyes. "You should be apologizing to Artemis. Not me." 

Roy felt his jaw instinctually tighten. "I stand by my actions."

"Then why are you apologizing?" 

"Because you have to clean up our mess." 

A frown creased Kaldur's brow. Roy wanted to walk over and gently rub it out, the way Oliver had when he was little. Instead he rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down towards the floor. A nervous habit that only a few knew about. "You're the one who has to explain to Batman why the mission failed. You're the one who has to lecture us. You're the one who has to live with all this shit. And it's not fair. And just because I stand by my actions, doesn't mean I don't acknowledge I could have handled it better."

"How mature of you." The words were flat. Almost disinterested, but really he was pushing everything down. Roy _knew_ Kaldur was pushing it down, and he'd much rather Kaldur just yell at him. Not this passive aggressive bullshit that was like walking on ice. 

"I'm serious Kaldur. I care about you and I'm sorry I made your life more difficult." 

The Atlantean pursued his lips, sending a secluded part of Roy into a hidden frenzy, before turning back towards his computer. "I appreciate you coming all this way to apologize in person." 

"Are you saying this conversation should have just been a text?" 

"I need to work on these reports." 

The only thing keeping him from sighing was the thought of further upsetting Kaldur. "Let me help." 

The leader tensed for a second before side eyeing him. "Alright. When you decided to place a tracker on your teammate without informing your leader, what was your reasoning? I'll need to fill that part out next." 

Shit. He ran a hand down his face. "Kaldur-" 

"I think it is information Batman and the League would like to have." 

"No, it's information you would like to have." He left off the "because I hurt your feelings". No need to get Kaldur to completely shut him out for the night. 

"So let me have it." 

Roy's heart skipped a beat. Sometimes he hated how his brain lived permanently in the gutter. "What if I was wrong?" It was a whisper. 

"What?"

"What if I asked you to tag Artemis, and I was wrong? Any standing I have on that front would be gone." His voice was starting to raise without his control. "If she had really tagged Cheshire and sent us after her and the case, and I had tagged her-"

"You would have seemed paranoid."

"Yeah. And ruin any chance of looking for the mole in the future."

"Well congratulations Roy. Because what you did do was prove that you do not trust me. Or apparently, yourself." 

Roy would have been better off if Kaldur had just punched him. "Of course I trust you." 

"I thought you did." 

Roy immediately sat down in the chair next to him. "Kaldur. You're the only one here I completely trust." 

"Alright." He turned back to the laptop. His fingers moving sluggishly over the keys, but actually moving this time. 

"I don't trust myself." 

"Roy-"

"I don't. But if something happened to you or Wally or Robin and I could have stopped it? I can't live with that thought Kal. And so yeah. I do stupid shit. But I stand by it because, if I don't…" He trailed off, not completely sure where he was going with this. Kaldur's hand landed on his. 

"I am still angry and frustrated. But I accept your apology. I do not like being mad at you." 

"Thank you." 

Kaldur gave a soft nod and went back to his report. Roy wished he was still touching him but didn't want to push it. Instead he started collecting the discarded files Kaldur was finished with and alphabetized them. An hour passed when he was done with that, and neither had said anything. But the lulls in Kaldur's typing were becoming longer and closer together. It wasn't until his head dropped though that Roy moved into action. 

"When was the last time you saved that?" 

"It automatically saves every thirty seconds." 

Nifty. And considering it had been well over thirty seconds since Kaldur had typed, Roy was confident in his actions, for once. Gently he closed the laptop, forcing Kaldur's hands away from the keyboard. It earned him an easy glare but Kaldur didn't make any movement to stop him. 

"You need some sleep." 

"I suppose." 

He didn't move though so Roy stood up and offered him a hand. Kaldur was all dead weight as he allowed himself to be pulled up. Any grace he usually displayed had abandoned him hours ago. His head like a rock falling onto Roy's shoulder. Thankfully he was too tired to put up a fight as Roy picked him up. Long legs wrapped around his waist, squeezing just enough not to slip down. Roy tried not to think too much about how his hips were pushing into his friend's. Or that his hands were definitely on Kaldur's ass to help support the slightly younger boy's weight. Kaldur's arms were slung over Roy's shoulders, not doing much aside from balancing everything out. 

"Okay Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you to bed." 

"Does that make you my Prince?" His voice was muffled by Roy's jacket. 

"Sure. If you want me to be." 

Kaldur stiffened against him. Shit. He was teasing. He didn't mean to make this uncomfortable. "And if I do want you to be?" 

The archer did his best not to trip. After all, smashing Kaldur into the ground didn't seem like an appropriate response. But he did stagger to a stop in front of the steps. "Do you want me to be?" 

"Roy." He pulled out, tired eyes locked with stressed ones. 

"You're tired. Let's talk about this after you get some sleep." 

"I am of sound mind." 

"If you'll have me." It was a croak. But Kaldur was close enough to hear him. A smile pulled on his lips. When Kaldur rested his forehead against Roy's, he was almost dropped. _Tender_ wasn't something he had a lot of experience with. 

"I would very much like to have you." 

_Shit_

"Uh. Maybe don't say stuff like that while I'm carrying you." 

"Why?" 

"I don't really want to explain." 

Kaldur let out a laugh. His head slid back into the crook of Roy's neck. His lips pulled up in a smile against the sensitive skin. It sent shivers up his spine. 

"Hey Kal?"

"Hmm?" 

"Should we talk about you being mad at me before committing?" 

"In the morning." 

"Of course." 

Roy continued to take the long way to the guest rooms. If being caught by himself was unwanted, being caught while carrying around their leader was disaster fuel. If Kaldur minded he didn't let on. His breathing had settled into an easy pattern. The stiff muscles had relaxed against Roy's body, Kaldur's legs even slipping some. It was becoming more and more difficult to carry him. At last though, Roy reached the door to Kaldur's guest room. 

It was somehow even more sparse than his room in the Lighthouse. But it had a bed and Roy rather unceremoniously dropped him on it. Kaldur lifted his head to glare at him, but it was un-intimidating and lackluster. 

"Sorry. My arms were giving out." 

"I guess I will forgive you yet again." 

"Har har." 

Kaldur pushed himself up into a sitting position. Roy started to protest but was cut short by Kaldur using the last of his strength to pull him down. 

"You should rest too." 

"Not nearly as much as you, goof." 

The Atlantean gave a low hum. His head landed back on Roy's shoulder. It was a nice weight and Roy enjoyed it being there. 

"Do you really want to be my prince?" 

His heart skipped a beat. "I do." 

Kaldur lifted his head again. His hand wrapped around the back of Roy's. Smooth fingers pulled him down. He leaned in to the movement. Excitement bubbled up deep in his chest but he pushed down. Being overeager could ruin this. Their noses bumped causing them to both jump back again. 

"That tired huh?" 

"Be quiet for once in your life." There was no malice in Kaldur's words. He pulled Roy back down and this time. _This time_. Kaldur's mouth found Roy's. Sea smoothed skin pushing against Roy's chapped and peeling skin. When Kaldur pulled away Roy wished he could go right back to it. But Kaldur needed _some_ sleep tonight. And Roy knew where uncontrolled, hungry, kisses could lead. So instead he pushed a kiss onto Kaldur's forehead and stood up. 

"Get some rest, Sleeping Beauty."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it may not be as polished as i usually like but ive not been feeling a+ as of late. But i still think it's cute so *shrugs*


	6. 38. Nightmare

The hard water blade had no resistance as it slid under his ribcage. Didn't fight as it cut through muscle and tendons. There was no struggle when it pierced his heart, spilling hot red blood down the cool ocean blue. Worse yet Roy didn't put up any resistance as it slid in. Instead he wore a mournful look. All harsh shadows and deep lines even as a small gasp escaped him. Kaldur's hand trembled ever so slightly. He demanded his muscles stop, to do something, _anything_ to undo this. But the harsh metal of the manta suit was in charge now. Wrapped tightly around him, moving without his permission. Pulling his body and forcing him to do horrible things. Things he'd never do. Never even think about. But as blood slipped down Roy's side and the armor melted away the knife remained firmly in Roy's abdomen. It wasn't Manta's armor doing this, it was him. Slowly, impossibly slowly, Roy's lithe body collapsed to the ground. Eyes and mouth hung open, accusingly. 

Kaldur shot up in bed. Sweat soaking through to his mattress and staining his pillow. His gills flapped uselessly against the heavy Surface air. 

Nightmares were nothing new. If anything he almost expected them at this point in his life. But _this_ nightmare. This one was different. Tangled with memories and bad blood and a beautiful golden past. It wasn't helped that the last time he saw Roy was Wally's funeral. All polite nods and tight smiles. The past was left at the old oak doors and retrieved at the coat stand. They didn't share two words, even as they each stood on either side of Artemis and attempted the impossible task of holding her together. 

Not that they ever needed to talk to each other. They shared an understanding from the day they met. An understanding that had blossomed into a friendship. Into… an almost something. 

The worn Lighthouse floorboards were cool and rough against his feet as they announced his arrival into the kitchen. At least he wasn't alone. 

"Welcome to the club." Koryak murmured, bringing a cup of ice water to his brown lips, pulled into a tight line. Garth's only acknowledgment of Kaldur was a loud grunt. His purple eyes- rimmed red with sleep drawn tears- were turned towards the ceiling. "What brings you to join?" 

"What?" Kaldur's voice was raspy from sleep. 

"The club? What brings you to join? We got fiery apocalypse," Koryak turned a scared finger towards himself. "And an obvious analogy for abandonment issues." Garth looked down long enough to shoot Koryak a glare. "So what brings you here?" 

He didn't want to say. There was too much to unpack. And if Koryak's "sensitivity" towards Garth's nightmare was any indication this wasn't the audience. Still, getting it off his chest might help him sleep. At least that was his parent’s logic when he was little. His hand hovered over the coffee pot handle while he decided. 

"Was it about your... _mission_?" Garth's voice was quite, far away, still the word "mission" came out like venom. 

A tense beat passed amongst them. "In a sense." 

"Wanna talk about it?" A softness had crept into Koryak's voice. 

"Not particularly." He turned to face them anyway. Pushing down a sigh and letting sleep deprivation make decisions for him. "I...no...in the nightmare…" He ran a shaky hand over his hair. "Roy...he...I. Nevermind." 

"Roy huh?" Koryak asked.

"Yes." 

"Have you tried… talking to him?" 

It wasn't disgust that pulled itself onto Kaldur's face, but he knew it must have looked like it. "And did you give Garth advice with his nightmare?" 

"He did." Still mostly a whisper. 

"Then let us trade."

A spark of his old self flashed across Garth's eyes and when he spoke it was at an audible volume. "Oh sure, you go talk to my mom about her leaving me for dead as a baby and I'll talk to Roy about your unresolved emotions." 

“Nevermind.” 

“Thought so- wait, where are you going?”

Kaldur didn’t turn back on his way to his shoes and coat when he answered. “To get this over with.” 

***

You could only pace around an apartment building so many times before it looked like you were casing the place. And in a way he kinda was. Really, what was the difference between casing a building and securing a perimeter? Not that the perimeter was going to be more secure the fourth or fifth time. The sigh he snuffed out in the Lighthouse reemerged and this time Kaldur didn’t bother holding it back. This was a mistake. But if he went back to the Lighthouse he’d be pestered to death with questions from the Wouldbe Princes. 

After more time out in the Star City cold, staring at the red brick building, he was able to move into the opening fourier. But his feet froze on the bottom step. Alarm bells went off in his head. Roy had a kid now. It was probably close to 4 am. This screamed mistake. 

He'd made it this far though. 

The wooden steps creaked under his weight. It was different from the noises made by the Lighthouse. More people had marched down these steps, less sand and saltwater had pooled on the boards. They continued to protest as Kaldur made his way up them. Each time he reached a landing he stopped and almost turned back. Still his feet moved forward until he was standing in front of an unsuspecting wooden door. Eyes boring holes into the eroded number 73. What was he afraid of? Hadn't he done worse? More terrifying tasks in the name of good and justice? 

He gave one hard loud knock. No sounds responded on the other side of the door. He took a deep breath, gills pushing against his jacket collar when he did so. Another knock, followed by another. Then he took a step back. If no one answered maybe Koryak and Garth would keep their pestering down. Probably not but maybe. 

Then he heard something. Atlantean ears weren't as great as Kryptonian ones, but he could hear someone walking towards the door. His heart squeezed in his chest. Mistake. 

The door swung open before Kaldur could flee. 

Roy blinked at him, deep blue eyes glassy and rimmed with purple bags. Red hair had sprung up on chin and under his nose. His face had filled out though since last Kaldur saw him. As had his body, still not at a healthy weight but getting there. His gray teeshirt didn't hang off his body the way it once had, and there was no sag to his pajama pants. Not that Kaldur was checking for those sharp hip bones that would peak out ever now and then when they were teenagers. This wasn't the time for something like that. 

"Kaldur?" 

"Roy." 

He took a step back into the apartment and motioned for Kaldur to join him. "It's Will now actually."

Shit. He should have known that. Why hadn't he known that? "My apologies. It is still good to see you." 

"Is everything okay?" 

No. But where to start? "Koryak suggested I come."

"And you listened? At 4 almost 5 am?" 

"I may not have been completely awake." 

"Right." He said it like he was testing the word in his mouth. Or was worried about Kaldur's sanity. "Why did Aquaman's brat tell you to hunt me down?" His muscles were tight, jaw set like he was ready for an argument, or worse. Kaldur really didn't want a fight tonight. Or an argument for that matter. 

"I had a nightmare." Heat rose to his cheeks. Roy, no Will, blinked in surprise. Of all the situations running through his mind, that wasn't it. 

"You have a lot of those."

"I killed you." 

A heavy beat passed between the two heroes. 

"Oh." 

"The same way we faked Artemis' death. Do with that what you will." 

"I...I don't know what to say." 

"Nor do I." 

"I'll, hmm, I'll make some coffee." Will set off towards the nook of a kitchen. 

“I did not mean to wake you.” 

Something that sounded like a snicker sounded from the separating wall. “You didn’t. I was up studying.” 

“Oh?” 

“I’m taking some business classes at the Star City Community College. What about you?” Will re-emerged from around the wall to lean on it. The sound of the coffee pot working in the background a comforting white noise.

“What about me?” 

“Aside from nightmares, what have you been up to?” 

“Oh.” Nothing that would surprise Will. More of the usual really. Certainly nothing on par with classes to better himself. Suddenly it all seemed so mundane, the missions, reports, late nights, and supervillains. Most people would kill for his life. He had killed for his life. Not that he would admit to it to certain “friends”. Was Will so fickle? After all he’d run off with Jade of all people. “Not much.” 

“Hm.” 

“What?” 

“Nothing.” Kaldur recognized that tone. It was the tone that often led to midnight fights and someone storming out to cool off. 

“R-Will. I did not come all this way to fight.” 

“You haven’t actually told me why you came.” He ducked around the wall, presumably to get a cup of coffee. 

“I did-”

“No you said you had a nightmare where you killed me. If you wanted to know I was okay you could have called. My phone number would have been easier to get to than my current address was.” 

It was true that after an hour of digging through League files Kaldur eventually broke down and asked Mia. While she was the least likely of Oliver’s kids to hold the favor over him, not counting Artemis who he wouldn’t bother while she was grieving, she did insist he give her ten bucks. “Your sister’s loyalties are surprisingly cheap.” He immediately winced. Referring to any of the other arrow kids as his siblings in the past had ended… badly. 

Will let out a stunted laugh. “How much does my address cost her these days?” 

“Well for me it was only ten dollars.” That was...surprising. 

The redhead returned to the living room fit for a mouse with two steaming mugs. “Still a sprinkle of salt and some half and half?” 

“Yes. Thank you.” 

“You seem tense.”

“You don’t.”

Will shrugged as if that simple motion explained everything. In reality it didn’t come close to explaining anything. He must have seen the confusion on Kaldur’s face because he started to elaborate. “I spent so long looking for someone else. I just…” He sighed. “I’m trying to find myself...how dorky does that sound?”

“It does not.” 

“You know, you could benefit from some self exploration yourself.” He quirked an eyebrow up. 

“And how would I do that?” 

“Hmm. Get a hobby?” A familiar teasing tone had brushed across Will’s words. New name, new apartment, same man underneath. 

“Is that what you did?” 

“No, I got a kid. You could try that too I guess but it’s a bit more of a commitment than like Magic Cards or model airplanes.” 

The easy banter tugged Kaldur’s lips into a smirk. “Where is she?”

“Asleep. And it’s gonna stay that way for as long as possible.” 

“Understandable.” If Lian was anything like Prince Arthur, sleep was a rarity and chaos a constant. 

“I’ve missed you.” 

Kaldur was grateful he hadn’t been sipping his coffee otherwise he would have choked. “And I you.” He whispered. 

“Then where have you been?”

An anger sparked in his chest. “ _Me_? Do not forget you were the one that ran off with-”

“We’ve both been back for a while now pal. But… you’re right. I could have reached out too.” 

“I...did you just say I was right?”

“I’m mostly trying to avoid a fight. But yeah. Even though I have a ton more on my plate then it sounds like you do-”

“I’m leading the Team.” Will may be caring for one child but Kaldur was responsible for an entire gaggle of them. 

“Again?!”

“Dick… he needed a break...after.”

“I’m so sorry Kaldur.” Will set the coffee down on the stained coffee table as his face twisted up in frustration and disappointment. His hands landed on Kaldur’s upper arms. It sent shivers up to his shoulders and down his spine. 

“It is not so bad.” 

Sadness seeped into Will’s eyes. “Did he at least ask you first?”

“Well. Not really.” 

Will’s head dropped in a sigh. “You really do need a hobby.” His hands started to slip off Kaldur’s arms. A truly unacceptable movement. 

“Perhaps you could show me some of yours?” 

“Like what?” His voice was soft, his eyes flicking back up to Kaldur. 

"Hmm. Archery?" Kaldur rested his own hands on Will's arms, his own coffee forgotten on the table as well, tugging him just a little bit closer. The lack of sleep was weighing on his arms and making his thoughts heavy. Worse he was becoming impulsive. 

"You just want an excuse for me to touch your arms." His voice dropped an octave. It was the same voice he'd used on Donna and later Jade. Kaldur forced himself not to swallow the lump in his throat, worried it would give off the wrong idea. 

"Perhaps." 

Will smirked again and started to pull away. Kaldur gently tightened his grip, not enough to keep Will there if he didn't want to be, but enough to signal that Kaldur _did_ want him there. 

"Are you seeing anyone?" 

"I see lots of people, daily." 

Will blinked back sleepy confusion before cracking a smile. "Ass. Are you _dating_ anyone?" 

"I wouldn't have the time even if I wanted to." 

That must have been the wrong thing to say because the smile fell from Will's face. "Of course." He started to pull away again. 

"But, I would be willing to make the time. For the right person." The words collided together in a very uncharacteristic way. 

Will froze, eyeing Kaldur with caution. "And who would that be?" 

Kaldur's heart threatened to break his ribs. His mouth suddenly drier than even it had been after that damn Bialya mission. Years he'd been holding this close. Locked tight in a box he'd not even let M'gann touch at first in his mindscape. He inhaled slowly. Fuck it. If not now, never. "You?" 

"Is that a question?" 

"Will." 

Calloused fingers brushed along Kaldur's jawbone. "Just ask." 

"Would you be...my person?" 

A soft laugh escaped Will's lips. And given how close they suddenly were to Kaldur's own lips it was hard to think about anything other than the soft tickle across his skin. 

"Yes." 

It was Kaldur that closed the gap between the two. But Will quickly took charge. It was all hunger and passion and years of things unsaid. Kaldur fell backwards onto the couch, his bottom lip caught between Will's teeth. A knee pushed conspicuously into his crotch. Will's hands cupped around the flapping gills on his neck. When the rough calluses scraped against the delicate skin Kaldur buckled ever so slightly. Will obviously noticed because he froze long enough to grin and slowly, teeth still tugging on Kaldur's lip, pulled away. 

"Was that good or bad?" 

_Fuck._ "Good." It was a night of honesty after all. 

The grin that spread across Will's face was absolutely delicious and terrifying. He leaned back in, causing a slight heart palpitation in the process, but before his lips could find their mark a loud wail broke through the moment. Will's head dropped into the nook of Kaldur's shoulder as he slowly shook his head. 

Quietly he muttered. "Of course." Then, louder; "We'll come back to this. In the meantime," He pushed Kaldur down into a lying position and then tossed the throw blanket from the back of the couch at him. "Get some sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments for my soul?

**Author's Note:**

> Comments make the world go round ^-^. Also I hope you enjoy the endeavor


End file.
